The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia

Here is the riveting story of the Russian Revolution as it unfolded. When Russia’s last tsar, Nicholas II, inherited the throne in 1894, he was unprepared to do so. With their four daughters (including Anastasia) and only son, a hemophiliac, Nicholas and his reclusive wife, Alexandra, buried their heads in the sand, living a life of opulence as World War I raged outside their door and political unrest grew.

The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P. T. Barnum

Come one, come all to this larger-than-life biography of P. T. Barnum, showman and founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Visit Barnum's American Museum, established in only four weeks! Meet Madame Josephine Clofulia, the Swiss Bearded Lady. Get to know Tom Thumb, a miniature man (only twenty-five inches tall), and his tiny bride (32 inches). Watch as the circus parade goes by, elephants tail to trunk, costumed performers waving, lions yawning. Then, under the big top, as Barnum steps into the spotlight, cast your eyes on the center ring and prepare to be amazed.

A star-studded group of award-winning nonfiction authors and journalists provides something for every listener, all aligned with the Common Core State Standards. Compiled and edited by real-life literature legend Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: True Stories is a mind-blowing collection of essays, biographies, travelogues, and more, all proving that the truth is most definitely out there.

On the Day I Died: Stories from the Grave

The phenomenally versatile, award-winning author, Candace Fleming, gives teen and older tween readers 10 ghost stories sure to send chills up their spines. Set in White Cemetery, an actual graveyard outside Chicago, each story takes place during a different time period from the 1860s to the present, and ends with the narrator's death. Some teens die heroically, others ironically, but all due to supernatural causes. Readers will meet walking corpses and witness demonic posession, all against the backdrop of Chicago's rich history.

He was King Henry VIII, a charismatic and extravagant ruler obsessed with producing a male heir to secure his royal line. She was Katherine of Aragon, princess of Spain, whom Henry would divorce when she failed to bear a son. Then there was Anne Boleyn, mother to the future Queen Elizabeth I, who was accused of treason and beheaded. And then came Jane Seymour, who died only two weeks after giving birth to a much coveted son, and Anna of Cleves, whose appearance so displeased Henry that he annuled their marriage after a mere six months.

Ben Franklin's in My Bathroom!

Nolan is a typical kid living in a typical 21st-century American town. Ben Franklin is, well, Ben Franklin - Founding Father, inventor of the lightning rod and bifocals and more. When, through a bizarre set of circumstances, Nolan and his little sister, Olive, find Ben in their house, chaos isn't far behind. From introducing him to the toaster to taking him to the public library (another Ben invention) to preventing a nosy neighbor from blowing Ben's cover, Nolan does his best to be Ben's tour guide to the new world he helped form.

Presenting Buffalo Bill: The Man Who Invented the Wild West

Everyone knows the name Buffalo Bill, but few these days know what he did or, in some cases, didn't do. Was he a Pony Express rider? Did he serve Custer at the Battle of Little Big Horn? Did he scalp countless Native Americans, or did he defend their rights? This, the first significant biography of Buffalo Bill Cody for younger listeners in many years, explains it all.
Presenting Buffalo Bill makes the great showman come alive for new generations.

The
Los Angeles Times Festival of Books began in 1996 with a simple goal: to bring together the people who create books with the people who love to read them. The festival was an immediate success and has become the largest and most prestigious book festival in the country, attracting more than 130,000 book lovers each year.

On the Day I Died

You over there – come a little closer. Closer still; there’s no need to be shy. We have tales of terrors beyond your wildest nightmares; stories of monsters, madness, the dark and the dangerous. The dead have voices, and we need to be heard.Settle down, sit tight. We’re going to be here all night.